Russia Condemns Hosting Nuclear-Capable NATO Jets

(MENAFN) Russia regards Estonia’s readiness to host NATO aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons as a direct menace to its national security, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday.

In reaction to recent comments from Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, who supported such deployments, Peskov cautioned that the stationing of F-35 fighter jets in the Baltic area would be viewed as a significant provocation.

He denounced Tallinn’s position as “absurd,” adding that diplomatic ties with Moscow “can hardly get any worse.”

Pevkur informed local news outlets that F-35s, which have the capacity to be armed with nuclear arms, “have already been in Estonia and will soon return again in rotation,” expressing Estonia’s willingness to host allied forces operating these aircraft.

Since joining the alliance in 2004, the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have facilitated NATO fighter rotations.

Their skies are monitored by allied planes due to limited indigenous defense resources.

NATO’s eastward enlargement has been a longstanding source of friction for Russia, which accuses Western nations of violating post-Cold War guarantees.

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